Fontenots conviction was overturned in 2019, and he was freed pending an appeal by the state. Both judges found the defendants constitutional rights were violated by police and prosecutors who until 2019 didnt turn over more than 300 pages of documents that would have helped the defendants. Attorneys For Tommy Ward 'The Innocent Man' Continue Fight For His Release From Jail. Tweet Courtesy. In 2020, Fontenot's co-defendant in the case, Tommy Ward, also had his conviction overturned in state court, but prosecutors have appealed that decision to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. mail More to come. Fontenots and Wards attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. Subscribe for the latest music videos, performances, and more!Tommy's new album "From This Moment On" available n. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday reinstated Tommy Ward's murder conviction in an infamous 1984 case out of Ada. The only evidence the state used in convicting Ward was a confession that he later claimed was spun wildly from a dream he reported, and only came out after intense pressure and hours of brutal interrogation. "They have now been in prison for 31 years, serving hard time for a murder committed by someone else. Courtesy Netflix. Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal . Share. Oklahoma seeks to uphold the murder conviction of Karl Fontenot in the murder of Donna Denice Haraway. He is now 58 years old and says he will not admit guilt even if it means improving his chances at parole. Lawyers for a man whose murder conviction in Oklahoma was overturned after he served more than three decades in prison urged the U.S. Supreme Court this week not to grant the states request to review the case. The Official YouTube Channel of Tommy Ward. Tommy Ward andKarl Fontenot were sentenced to death in 1985 for the murder of Denice Haraway, despite the fact that their confessions didn't match the crime they were accused of. Attorneys representing Tommy Ward continue to fight for his release from jail. He often uses his platform to raise awareness for various charitable causes and uses his talents to give back to his community. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. She said police and prosecutors withheld evidence that would have assisted Wards defense. Fontenot has been released pending a decision from the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Oklahoma Attorney General's Office Appeals Release Of Tommy Ward. The convictions of Ward and Fontenot have come under intense scrutiny for years and have been the subject of numerous books, including John Grishams The Innocent Man, which he produced into a six-part documentary. News 9 Team Holds Severe Weather Expo At Penn Square Mall, Sauced On The Paseo Re-Opens 2 Years After Fire, Read Across America Celebration Held At Belle Isle Library, OKC Thunder, Big Brothers & Big Sisters Host Clinic For Kids At Park, TCSO, 'Color Free America' Hold Dialogue Between Citizens And Law Enforcement, First Responders Host Recruitment Fair In Tulsa, Doctors Warn Dangers Of Cannabis Edibles For Children. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A man who has spent 35 years in prison in a murder case featured in the book and television series The Innocent Man must remain incarcerated even after a judge ordered his release, an appeals court ruled Thursday. Ward remains in prison as the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals weighs his case. Heres a link to the decision, Mark Barrett & The Center on Wrongful Convictions tweeted, with the legal documents confirming the move attached. In a motion and brief filed Monday on behalf of Tommy Ward, one of two men convicted of Haraway's murder in Ada and who was featured in the John Grisham book the Innocent Man and 2018 Netflix. Position: WR Height: 6-0 Weight: 190 College: Rutgers Hometown: Canton, PA High School: Canton HS Tommy Ward to be set free . The Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the conviction of one man in the 1984 murder of an Ada convienince store worker featured featured The Innocent Man. Attorneys for a man convicted for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of an Ada woman say they plan to file a federal case to try and overturn his conviction after the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a lower court's order that would have made him a free man. Though no physical evidence tied them to Haraways disappearance, Fontenot and Ward initially confessed to the crime after questioning by investigators. You can opt-out at any time. Which they did after I taped the statement," Fontenot said almost immediately after his interrogation, as described in Grisham's book. The Innocent Man, released by Netflix in 2018, looked at two murder cases having taken place in Ada in the 1980s, including the one which resulted in Wards conviction. Tommy has been recommended for parole at least twice, but turned down by the board in Oklahoma. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has reinstated the murder conviction and life sentence of a man featured in the book and television series The Innocent Man.. Both have excellent teams of lawyers who continue to work for their release.. Heres a link to the decision https://t.co/21UQag7LEi, Tommy Ward: The Innocent Man (@WardInnocentMan) December 19, 2020. The young woman's disappearance sparked decades of controversy as police scrambled to solve the crime, leading to the convictions of two men: Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot. You can opt-out at any time. Back in December a Ponotoc County judge overturned Wards conviction saying prosecutors withheld evidence in the case. Shot by Shot: Tracking Oklahoma police shootings in 2023, Listen Frontier: Sen. James Lankford speaks with The Frontier about abortion, immigration and more, Frontier content sharing and collaboration terms. But a Pontotoc County district judge ruled last month that prosecutors withheld key evidence in the case, including witness interviews and police reports, and ordered Wards release. Ward's most recent recording, "Home" with GRAMMY nominated country artist Mark Winston Kirk, is currently in the Top 100 on regional radio and is being played in more than 15 states across the United States, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. The conclusion of "The Innocent Man" docu-series notes that Ward's post-conviction filing has been opposed by the state, but that a judge will review the case in 2019. The judge found Tommy Ward didnt get a fair trial. Read: Attorney General's Office Appeals Ruling That Would Vacate Sentence Of Tommy Ward, In Tuesdays filing, attorneys representing Ward argued the district judges ruling was fair and reasonable and echoed the judge that the withheld evidence creates a reasonable probability that the outcome would be different.. His previous EPs "Forget Me Not" and "Merry Christmas" both reached the Top 10 on iTunes jazz charts on the first day of their release. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Tuesday, July 6th 2021, 11:00 pm. Please refer to our. The Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Tommy Ward, 60, to remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower court's ruling that he be released. The order is the latest in a string of decisions rebuking the convictions of Ward and Karl Fontenot for an infamous 1984 murder documented in two books and a recent Netflix documentary. a man whose murder conviction in Oklahoma was overturned, Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984, which became a Netflix documentary series, Oklahoma Army veteran gets probation for role in Jan. 6 US Capitol riot, Human remains found, Oklahoma white supremacist leader might be connected, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Breaking news: Judge orders Tommy released and vacates his conviction. Im still holding out hope that the attorney general of Oklahoma will change course here, take a close look at the case, said Greg Swygert, one of Wards attorneys. This photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Tommy Ward, who has spent 35 years in prison in a murder case featured in the book and television series The Innocent Man'. A prisoner featured in the Netflix documentary series The Innocent Man has had his murder conviction and life sentence reinstated after previously being granted relief. The order is the latest in a string of decisions rebuking the convictions of Ward and Karl Fontenot for an infamous 1984 murder documented in two books and a recent Netflix documentary. Its clear as day.. The Oklahoma Innocence Project, an organization that helps to exonerate those wrongfully convicted, attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, but itsappeals were denied in 2015. PublishedDecember 26, 2020 at 10:50 AM CST, KGOU | Tommy Ward one of the subjects of Netflix's true-crime docuseries "The Innocent Man," who was convicted of abduction, rape and the murder of an Oklahoma woman is to be released from . The courts exhaustively reviewed voluminous amounts of withheld exculpatory evidence and correctly concluded that this is the rare case in which a habeas petitioner has credibly demonstrated actual innocence, the lawyers said. It also accounts the false convictions of Ward and Karl Fontenot for themurder of Denice Haraway and the false conviction of Greg Wilhoit for the rape and murder of his estranged wife. Fontenot, 57 and Tommy Ward, 61, were both twice convicted in Haraways murder. At only 25 years old, he has already made a name for himself in the entertainment industry, and his videos on social media have racked up millions of views. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! An Oklahoma judge ruled that the case rested on circumstantial evidence. She decided to vacate Wards conviction and life sentence, and ordered his release. Later that year, an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Agent interviewed Tommy Ward, who said he, Karl Fontenot, and another man robbed the store Haraway worked at, then stabbed and raped. In 2020, District Judge Paula Inge vacated his conviction, dismissed the charges against him, and ordered him set free. remains wrongfully imprisoned . Tuesday, they filed a brief with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. The Court of Criminal Appeals ruled Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 that 60-year-old Tommy Ward remain imprisoned while the state appeals the lower court's ruling. Ward was convicted alongside Karl Fontenot for murdering Donna Harraway in Ada. Ward and a co-defendant, Karl Fontenot, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 1984 kidnapping and killing of Donna Denice Haraway, a convenience store clerk in Ada, Oklahoma. The state also claims witnesses saw men matching Ward and Fontenots descriptions in the convenience store where Haraway worked before she disappeared. Tommy's legal team dedicated to freeing Tommy Ward from prison for a crime he did not commit.. In both Ward and Fontenots cases, judges issued rulings excoriating investigators for withholding favorable evidence from defense attorneys. It was later upheld when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the state's appeal. - BART TORRES, 99.7FM The Highway Vibe. All rights reserved. In addition to his impressive performances, Ward has a true passion for music and the arts. Haraways body was located after the convictions. He is 54 years old and is being held at the at the North Fork Correctional Center in Sayre in Oklahoma. The Attorney Generals office claims in its filing that Fontenot and Ward attempted to minimize their involvement in Haraways death during their confessions by saying the primary aggressor was another man who was never charged with the crime. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. Please refer to our. The Oklahoma attorney generals office, which appealed Inges order, declined to comment on Thursdays ruling. Also Read: 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. The convictions of Ward and Fontenot have been the subject of numerous books, including John Grishams The Innocent Man, which he produced into a six-part documentary. Ive never been in jail or had a police record in my life and no one in my face telling me Id killed a pretty woman, that Im going to get the death penalty, so I told them the story hoping they would leave me alone. Last week, a Pontotoc County District Court judge ordered Tommy Ward be released from prison. Ward was convicted in the case in 1989 along with a co-defendant named Karl Fontenot. The judge said newly discovered evidence about Fontenots alibi and other suspects in the murder provided solid proof of his probable innocence. Ward and co-defendant Karl Fontenot's initial convictions and death sentences for Harways death were overturned, but both were again convicted on retrial with Fontenot again receiving a death sentence and Ward being sentenced to life in prison. Fontenot was released in December 2019 at the age of 55 after a federal judge ordered he be released or retried. Ward was featured in the Netflix documentary and John Grisham book An Innocent Man. Ward along with Karl Fontenot were convicted of killing Denice Haraway back in the 1980s. Share have asked the court of appeals . Ward was featured in the Netflix. Read: Attorney General's Office Appeals Ruling That Would Vacate Sentence Of Tommy Ward, In Tuesdays filing, attorneys representing Ward argued the district judges ruling was fair and reasonable and echoed the judge that the withheld evidence creates a reasonable probability that the outcome would be different.. Karl Fontenot, Tommy Ward. Both Ward and Fontenot would go on to recant their confessions. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Fontenot and Thomas Ward were convicted of killing Ada convenience store clerk Donna Denice Haraway in 1984. Tommy Ward is a critically acclaimed singer and entertainer from Las Vegas who has a deep love and appreciation for legendary musicians and crooners. To the extent that this could be the next Sinatra of our time." Fontenots attorneys have argued that many of the inaccurate details of his confession were supplied by detectives from the Ada Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations. Wr Hines Ward - NFL.com /a > attorneys representing Tommy Ward was one of two serving! Justices should reject the states request to review the case because the evidence in this case qualifies as new evidence of actual innocence under any definition of new evidence, Fontenots lawyers argued. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. News 9s Barry Mangold will have more on the story on News 9 at 10 p.m. Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox! Fight for his release from jail crime Netflix Series was released back in 2018, and temporary. An autopsy showed evidence that she had been shot and no sign that she had been stabbed, per The AP. We are pressing forward exploring the possibility of going to federal court with additional appeals, Barrett said. The ruling, dated Friday, said the withheld evidence, which included witness interviews and police reports, had been available to Ward's defense since 2003 and was not included in Ward's direct appeal after his 1999 conviction. In her 2020 ruling vacating Wards conviction, Judge Inge pointed to what she said were issues with the evidence in the case, and deemed that due to the passage of time, Ward would not be able to receive a fair trial. Fontenots lawyers at first waived the right to respond to the state, but the Supreme Court then requested a response. Raising the same general categories on post-conviction that one raised on direct appeal, even if the basis is different, will result in a procedural bar," according to the state court's opinion. - STEVE WYNN, founder Wynn Resorts "I just saw Tommy in Las Vegas at a corporate event and I was BLOWN AWAY. Additional reporting by The Associated Press. We cant do it without your support. Justices may determine before the courts term ends this summer whether to review the case. Fontenot was sentenced to death again but Ward was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Oklahoman. Ward is a hardworking and dedicated artist who continues to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. After Haraways remains were found in 1986 in rural Hughes County, forensic analysis showed that many of the details in Fontenots and Wards confessions were wrong. attempted to take on Fontenot's case in 2013, a 2017 interview with The Marshall Project. Timmy Ward gamelogs for the 2022 season. But one day before Ward's release, a temporary stay,. The state of Oklahoma engaged in an egregious, decades-long pattern of prosecutorial misconduct to ensure that the facts of Karl Fontenots innocence never came to light, Fontenots legal team told the court. Local prosecutors again secured their convictions, based largely on their confessions. Ward and a co-defendant, Karl Fontenot, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 1984 kidnapping and killing of Donna Denice Haraway, a convenience store clerk in Ada, Oklahoma. The. Ward and Fontenot were both granted a retrial a few years later, and again found guilty of Haraway's death. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, 'The Innocent Man': Netflix Sets December Launch for Docuseries Based on John Grisham Book. Advertisement On Friday, a judge vacated Ward's convictions and sentences, dismissed the charges and . Haraway had been shot rather than stabbed, was 20 miles away from where the men said her body had been dumped, and she had been wearing different clothes than those Ward and Fontenot described. Ward is the subject of a Netflix docuseries and a book by John Grisham. Tommy Ward, who was convicted twice for the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Ada convenience store clerk Donna "Denise" Haraway, had his conviction and life sentence overturned and was ordered to. Tuesday 30 August 2022 23:08 Tommy Ward in the 2018 Netflix docuseries 'The Innocent Man' (Netflix) A prisoner featured in the Netflix documentary series The Innocent Man has had his murder.
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